Hurricane Michael Death Toll Rises to 26, Many of Them in Florida

Florida officials announced Tuesday that Hurricane Michael has killed 16 people in the state.

In total, the storm has killed 26 people across four southern US states, officials said.

Nine more dead were added to Florida’s toll on Tuesday afternoon. One was a man whose body was discovered by a search dog in the decimated city of Mexico Beach on the Florida Panhandle.

While most of Mexico Beach lies in ruins, many evacuated residents still haven’t seen what’s left of their homes. They’ve had to wait for authorities to secure the area and complete search-and-rescue efforts before returning home.

That will change Wednesday, when residents will be allowed back to Mexico Beach, city officials said.

So far, the numbers don’t look good. Across Bay County, more than 2,500 structures are damaged, and at least 162 have been destroyed, Bay County Emergency Services said.

Officials have said six people died in Virginia, three died in North Carolina and one person was killed in Georgia.

‘We’re just going to leave it’

Some Mexico Beach residents are cutting their losses and will start a new life elsewhere.

Joe Bush, who said he loved living there for 19 years, said he’s decided to move. His house, furniture and vehicles were all heavily damaged by Michael

“I couldn’t get nothing for this land now,” Bush said. “People gonna be scared to death to come down here to buy and invest money. So we’re just going to leave it.”

But others, including Randy June, said Mexico Beach will always be his home — even though his house is now a pile of rubble.